


Sleepy Nights

by Kimmy



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Asexual Raphael Santiago, Asexuality, Couch Cuddles, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Humor, Jace Wayland Deserves Nice Things, M/M, POV Raphael Santiago, Sleepiness, Sleepy Cuddles, Slice of Life, Sweet, soft jace
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-02
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-04-17 13:37:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,520
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14190120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kimmy/pseuds/Kimmy
Summary: Raphael is hosting the Downworld Cabinet meeting at the apartment, following Alec's suggestion to make the atmosphere more comfortable. But what if it becomes a bit too comfortable?





	Sleepy Nights

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Takara_Phoenix](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Takara_Phoenix/gifts).



> Originally posted on tumblr.

Raphael never expected Jace Herondale. 

Between being asexual, biromantic and well,  _ a vampire _ , he almost gave up on pursuing love. He was a busy man, he kept telling himself. It was perfectly alright to focus on different priorities. He was only single for about half a century.

And then Isabelle Lightwood happened. Raphael had been more addicted  _ to _ her than in love  _ with _ her but it didn’t mean he didn’t have real feelings. Their parting had been painful because he wasn’t really willing to let his first relationship, even if it was a farce of a relationship, in half a century go, but they worked better as friends.

A part of him wished they could have been more but he could see that Isabelle needed closure, needed his support in a platonic way. And Isabelle needed to be single for a while, above all else, after being forced to break up with Meliorn and burning and crashing with Raphael.

But Isabelle was also determined to stay his friend.

And one should never underestimate the sheer power of determination that Isabelle Lightwood possesed. The one time she managed to drag Raphael into a group outing with her siblings and friends being the biggest testament to that.

In the end, Raphael was forced to begrudgingly agree it might have been a good idea, after all. Despite knowing the group from the formal relations of the clan and the misadventures they dragged him into during the war, Raphael never really got to know them just as people. It would be good, to at least try, if only for the sake of Magnus who had pretty much adopted them all into their family. It had always been just Magnus and Raphael but now it was also the Nephilim and even Simon.

And well, maybe the trying wasn’t that bad. 

After all, they had proven to not be as bad as expected. Interesting even. Especially Jace. Raphael knew most of them from before. Simon, obviously, Clary, kind of, through Simon, having heard more about her than he ever needed. Magnus was like a father to him, Alec, he knew from business. Isabelle was a whole nother story.

But Jace? 

Raphael hadn’t known Jace before. He had always kind of been there, and between the reputation he had thanks to his skillset and the reputation he had gained somewhere between his various surname changes, Raphael had heard of him, of course.

He had never had a chance to talk to him, even in a formal setting. All he ever heard were the rumours and what Izzy, Alec or Magnus would mention, which altogether painted quite an interesting picture. Frankly, the man himself more than added to it.

That night Raphael and Jace mostly ended up talking due to both of them avoiding Simon but later the two of them had started interacting more as the paths of the Nephilim and vampires kept crossing. Now that they knew each other it was simply easier to approach and talk instead of awkwardly eyeing each other from separate corners of the room. 

Considering Raphael was one of few people who never looked at Jace differently in spite of all the history that came up around him, and Jace one of the few people who didn’t look distrustfully at Raphael just because he was a vampire, it was natural. 

All in all, Raphael had become a part of the strange group they had formed but he ended up closest to Jace. At first, the two of them fit together, closed off and reserved but slowly, ever so slowly, Jace started opening up, clearly just desperate to have someone just  _ listen _ .

And having Raphael not just listen but listen attentively, offer not pity but understanding, offer his own struggles, as different as they were… it was strange. 

Jace didn’t even blink when Raphael explained he was asexual. He was wary of it, after Izzy, after all the stories he had heard about Jace among the Downworlders, he had had no idea what to expect. 

Jace’s tentative, delightfully awkward ramble on how Raphael’s asexuality didn’t mean he couldn’t have a relationship certainly wasn’t that. Jace asking him how he felt about kissing wasn’t even near? Jace hesitantly leaning in and pecking him on the cheek?

Their relationship was strange. Not too much had changed, considering they still had hectic lives and kept having to run into each other on jobs and holding conversations in quiet alcoves while waiting for the situation to progress but at the same time, everything changed.

Despite it all, Raphael was still anxious.

Because Jace Herondale  _ was _ a very sexual creature. But even despite Raphael suggesting subtly he wouldn’t get offended if Jace satisfied his needs… otherwise, Jace seemed pretty content with a sexless relationship.

Raphael had a sinking feeling it might have had something to do with Jace not having much experience with relationships  _ outside _ of sex.

Ultimately, surprisingly the biggest change in their relationship  _ was _ physical. Jace clearly craved intimacy and Raphael was still a bit in awe and basking in the feeling of getting to be close to someone without them complaining he wouldn’t offer them  _ more _ .

Jace spent a lot of nights at the DuMort and Raphael started spending more and more time at the Institute, even sleeping over a few times and they shared Raphael’s private apartment whenever they could. 

After a particularly memorable joint mission that ended up with Raphael acquiring Daylighter abilities, now that he could feel warmth again, Raphael  _ really _ loved Jace’s fireplace and Jace’s warm body curled next to him as they shared the huge bed in the bell tower.

The fact the Institute was once a church also brought him comfort in a strange way, but ultimately no matter if they ended up sleeping at work or going home to Raphael’s private apartment, getting to fall asleep was what mattered until Raphael found himself having trouble sleeping without Jace by his side and he found out it was similar for Jace.

After the truth came out about Jace’s death, Raphael wasn’t surprised to find out he was dealing with nightmares. Raphael’s presence seemed to help with that when even Magnus’ potions failed, the vampire realizing how much human contact helped Jace tether himself to earth, to  _ life _ .

Though as months passed, it had gotten better. Jace slept through more nights and although they prefered to share a bed, they were both used to sleeping alone after years. So when Jace came home exhausted, collapsing on the bed the moment he changed into his pyjamas, wiggling under the covers, Raphael didn’t think much of it.

He didn’t even consider the fact there was a sleeping boyfriend in the bedroom when he set the Downworld Cabinet meeting for their apartment that night, since it was taking place on more of a friendly ground, switching locations every time, on Alec’s suggestion.

Jace was obviously exhausted and he was sleeping, and the meeting was late, so Raphael really wasn’t expecting anything that would in any way be in relation to both of those facts. 

He was sat on one couch, Alec and Magnus on the couch to his side, trying to keep their distance and failing while Luke and Meliorn took the armchairs. The meeting was in full swing, the talks going well and Raphael didn’t even hear anything until there was suddenly something dropping in his lap.

Startled, he noticed his boyfriend had gotten up and decided to move from the bed to sleeping on the couch with his head in Raphael’s lap, just settling in without a word. 

Awkward silence fell around the room, Raphael feeling his cheeks heating up slightly for the first time in the past eight decades as his tall and proud leader demeanour crumbled under the picture of a cuddly boyfriend.

Not that he blamed Jace but… really, didn’t he notice they were in the middle of the Cabinet meeting? Between Raphael and Alec, he  _ knew _ it was happening here tonight.

“Jace…” He whispered, trying to work with what he had. “Angelito, we have guests, you do realize that?”

Jace grunted, not even opening his eyes to look, curling tighter around Raphael instead.

“It’s just family, Raph. Shut up and continue with your political ramble, I need to sleep and the bed was cold without you.”

Too stunned to answer, Raphael watched as Jace let out a soft snore, already deep asleep where he lay. Bringing his eyes up, Raphael forced himself to try to go on as if nothing had happened.

Magnus and Luke sported looks of fond amusement and Alec was smiling as he grabbed a blanket off the couch armrest and threw it at Raphael, who smiled back, covering Jace who snuggled into the warmth without waking up. 

Meliorn, thankfully, didn’t comment, only rolling his eyes before bringing them back to the topic they had been discussing before the interruption.

Focusing on listening, trying to ignore the Shadowhunter asleep on him, Raphael couldn't help the last thought that Jace Herondale certainly made his life more... interesting, but Raphael found himself actually enjoying that.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me on tumblr @kimmyhunter to fangirl about rare pairs.


End file.
